Your Skin Has a Nervous System Too

What excites me about neurocosmetics is that it finally puts words to something I have always felt: my skin and my nerves are connected.

When my nervous system is overloaded, my skin flares. When my skin feels raw, my whole body feels it. For me, this isn’t theoretical science. It’s daily life.

I am extra sensitive to textures, scents, and how products feel on my skin. Sometimes those details make or break my day. That’s part of why neurocosmetics makes sense to me. It explains why a cooling mist can feel like a small exhale I didn’t know I needed, or why a harsh product can set my whole system buzzing.

Scientists describe neurocosmetics as topicals that work with the skin’s neurosensory system and its messengers, sometimes called the skin–brain axis. The skin has receptors that pick up signals of stress or comfort and send them to the brain. Two that researchers talk about often are CB2 receptors, which can help calm inflammation, and TRPV1 channels, which are linked to burning, itching, and irritation. When CB2 activity is supported and TRPV1 signaling is eased, the skin can feel less reactive.

In my own work, I keep reaching for plants that feel steadying on the senses while still doing real work on the skin. Tulsi for its calm. Chamomile for its classic soothing. And now Annona cherimola for its potential to speak to those neurosensory pathways in a measurable way. That balance of gentle feel and meaningful effect is what I am after.

To me, neurocosmetics is skincare that calms, comforts, and gives both the skin and the mind a chance to breathe.

[Explore my first three formulas →]